ventricle

noun

ven·​tri·​cle ˈven-tri-kəl 

: a cavity of a bodily part or organ: such as

a

: a chamber of the heart which receives blood from a corresponding atrium and from which blood is forced into the arteries see heart illustration

b

: any of a system of communicating cavities in the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord see brain illustration

Examples of ventricle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But, likely weakened by the stress of his bout with cocci pneumonia, his left ventricle, the workhorse of the heart, was failing to pump remotely enough blood to supply his vital organs. —Bymeredith Wadman, science.org, 16 Jan. 2025

Boston Scientific was hoping to see a key marker of improvement—a decrease in the size of the left ventricle when it's fully contracted. —IEEE Spectrum, 2 Sep. 2014

The thickening had also altered how the ventricle’s valves opened, so that the outward flow was now partially blocked with each beat. —Lisa Sanders, M.d., New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025

Ependymal cells line the spinal cord and the brain’s ventricles, the cavities that produce and store CSF, and are essential for maintaining a stable environment in these structures, ensuring that neurons and other cells function optimally. —New Atlas, 2 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Latin ventriculus "belly, stomach, cavity in an organ," from ventr-, venter "belly, womb" + -culus, diminutive suffix (variant of -ulus -ule with nouns of the 3rd, 4th and 5th declensions) — more at venter

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing ventricle

• third ventricle

Rhymes for ventricle

• fickle
• mickle
• nickel
• nickle
• nicol
• pickle
• prickle
• sickle
• tickle
• trickle

Kids Definition

ventricle

noun

ven·​tri·​cle ˈven-tri-kəl 

1

: a chamber of the heart which receives blood from an atrium and from which blood is forced into the arteries

2

: one of the cavities in the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord

Medical Definition

ventricle

noun

ven·​tri·​cle ˈven-tri-kəl 

: a cavity of a bodily part or organ: as

a

: a chamber of the heart which receives blood from a corresponding atrium and from which blood is forced into the arteries

b

: one of the system of communicating cavities in the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord, that like it are derived from the medullary canal of the embryo, that are lined with an epithelial ependyma, and that contain a serous fluid see lateral ventricle, third ventricle, fourth ventricle

c

: a fossa or pouch on each side of the larynx between the false vocal cords above and the true vocal cords below